Mass Confusion
by Selena Shepard
Summary: I never wanted to die, but when fate takes my life away, I find myself trapped in a universe I never thought existed. Now, I must guide the Savior of the Galaxy in the correct path with what little knowledge I possess. The galaxy is in danger, and I must help to save it, or bring forth its destruction. Self Insert. Slightly non canon. Rated T for violence and language.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello, Y'all! Welcome to another of my fan fiction, dedicated to... the fans! (Duh!) Don't worry, if you read my previous story let me put your mind at ease by saying that that story was just to test the waters. I will put mt heart and soul into this. So, enjoy! (For the record, I've never played ME3 multiplayer, so if something is off, please tell me so i can fix it.)**

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"Oh, come on!"

"Ha! You got owned! Alex the Great conquers again!"

"Only because you had like a gazillion clips! All I had were my biotics! And you take your name way to seriously."

"Well, considering you've never been able to beat me since we started playing Mass Effect multiplayer…"

"I'd rather play single player, thank-you-very-much."

"Yeah, 'cause there you don't have to worry about dying. Oh, wait. You do."

"I think I've overstayed my welcome. Besides, it's late and my mom's gonna be worried sick if I dont leave soon."

"Alright, Selena. See you tomorrow at school?"

"You know I'm never absent."

"Nerd."

"Yeah, yeah. Night, Alex."

I exit his home and get on my motorcycle, putting on my helmet as I sit down. I turn it on, rev the motor and am on my way. Alex was a good friend who always teased at my inefficiency at video games. I had improved since he bought Mass Effect for my birthday. I stop at a red light, waiting my turn. I started to feel this...feeling..of...something.

_What the hell?_

I shake off the feeling as the light turns green. As i get halfway across the street, i feel a crushing pain on my left. I open my mouth to scream, but nothing comes out, only a short, ragged breathe. I feel heat on my right side of my body, stopping as the world spins then fades to black.

* * *

Darkness. Complete. Utter. Darkness. Not like when you close your eyes. Not like when you turn off the lights. A blanket of black enveloping me as i float about, rummaging through my thoughts. Was this hell? Had I done something so horrible in my life to deserve this painful, ink that surrounded me? Or was it Purgatory? Paying for my sins during life? I knew I was dead; _how _I died i had no idea. I couldn't remember. I couldn't focus. Then, suddenly, I distant bright light began to destroy the void. It was distant, a small dot the size of a bean. Then it grew, and as it grew, sounds came into place. Beeps, cries, voices. Then... I yelled. The bright light became blinding, and i felt something carry me. No..._someone. _Cold hands carried me and dropped me in smaller, warmer hands. I open my eyes, no longer screaming from the top of my lungs. I see large, green eyes looking down at me. Smiling. Another figure next to this person came into my vision. A man. Something was wrong. I felt...small. I couldn't talk. i was toothless. All the worries began to fade as the warm arms carrying me made me fall into a deep sleep, forgetting the pain the dark void had caused me.

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**AN: Interesting chapter. I hope. I have to ask, though, Long chapters every week or short chapters everyday? PM your responses. Thanks and stay tuned!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Chapter 2 coming right up! Not much to say really, so... "Let's go, let's just-go."-Alistair **

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Months passed, years. My mind not quite grasping the fact that I had died and reborn someplace I still couldn't recognize. My new parents seemed to love me, always caring for me. It was such a strange thing to think that somewhere else I had friends mourning me. My mom, my friends, Alex. Alex. He had become... More than a friend to me;now I'm dead. Talk about bad luck.

At age five, I started noticing things around me. They looked familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I was sure that this was some kind of future universe and that this was Earth. I was a bright kid, to say the least. Probably because I retained all my knowledge from my previous life. Fate decided to a not-really-big-asshole and my parents named me with my past life name, the only difference being the last name: Selena Davidson. I kinda liked my new name. Rolled off the tounge with ease.

Of course, Fate had to give me the finger again because why the hell not, right? At twelve, my parents were killed in an explosion where they worked. They were scientists, not renowned or anything, but they worked in a small laboratory. Some idiot decided that spilling some chemical onto a fire would be a fun way to pass the time. So, off I was sent to the nearest foster home. I hated it there. Too many kids going on about how they never had parents to care for them, or too many whining about their own parents doing them here. Its not that I hated them for not having something they could only dream of, it was the fact that they decided to vent their frustration on other kids by bullying them. It was a stupid thing to do, but they could have had a worst life. There was one kid though who was the odd ball of the hundred kids there, John. He never spoke to anyone and the other kids didn't seem to pay attention to him. It was as if he was a ghost. There was something about him that intrigued me about him. But, years passed and I never talked to him. Until last year when he approached me.

"Hey."

The word was so simple yet it had something hidden behind it-determination?

"Uh, hi. Do you...need something?"

"No."

There was a silence that seemed to last for eternity until he broke it

"What you in for?"

"You make it sound like we're in a prison. Though looking at it, it kinda is."

"Yeah. Been here a long time. Since I was five, I think. Parents dumped me here. Don't remember, don't care. You?"

"Parents died. No other family." I said, looking at him. He was standing with his hand in his pockets looking down at me. I was sitting in a bench, curled up reading a book my parents had bought me. It was a rarity, a hard cover book. His expression remained blank, though his body was hunched in a tired manner.

"Hmm. At least you knew 'em. Can I?" he asked, motioning to the empty spot next to me.

"Yeah." I said, sitting up and closing my book. "I had never seen you talk with anyone else and the other kids don't seem to pay much attention to you."

"Yeah, I beat up a couple of them a while back. They finally left me alone when they realized they couldn't beat me up. Still, I hate this place. I wish I could just leave already." he said, punching slightly his thigh in frustration. I didn't know him at all but in the past few months I could tell he was quite rebellious, even more convinced by his revelation.

"The feeling is mutual. Even though I don't have anywhere to go, any place is a helluva lot better than here." I confessed.

"Hm. I never thought I'd meet someone who thought that. Most of the idiots here spend their time moping or bothering others that it doesn't matter to them. But to somebody that accepts their fate gets pretty bored in here."

"Accepting fate..." I repeated, "Huh. Fate can be a bitch at the best of times." I realized what I had said and quickly apologized. "Sorry. Didn't mean to say that out loud. Just..." While he seemed like a good guy, there was no way in hell I was going to tell him I was some freak reincarnation from another universe.

"Don't worry. We got our something's. This place being mine."

A caretaker announced that it was bed time, making everyone in the small courtyard head back inside the small white building. John told me a "good bye" and headed for the boys dormitories and I to the girls'. It was a strange experience, talking to him.

Months passed and I eventually got over the death of my parents. Despite the fact that these parents loved me, the feeling wasn't as mutual. Sure, they cared for me, took care of me, but I know that somewhere else in the planes of existence, my mom-my real mom-is crying that her only daughter passed away. But John made me forget. We talked about the foster home, the kids that lived there, what we would ever do if we left this forsaken place. However, as I time passed by, I noticed that I knew this universe and that I knew John very well, not just because of our talks. I had been reincarnated into the inverse of Mass Effect.

Such a thing...was incomprehensible. Impossible even. Mass Effect was nothing more than a game, a way to pass the time. John. John was Commander Shepard. He's never told me his last name; I never asked him. But as I began to grasp things and remember the few things I knew about the game- the technology, the wars- I came to realize that the Reapers were knocking right at the door. Nobody knows yet, not even John. But if I tell him, he'll either laugh or think I'm crazy. I have to let everything that happened to John as an Earthborn in the game happen to him here as well. But that leaves me in a tight spot; I want to help, but I can't intervene John's destiny, lest I change his character. I have no idea what to do, and frankly...i think Purgatory would've been a better place to suffer than here.

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**AN: Kinda boring chapter, bu it was necessary for the rest of the story. Stay tuned for more****!**

P.S my last name isn't Davidson, I just used the first name that came to my head XD


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey, Sel, I've got an idea."

Three years passed in the foster home, getting to know John better. He had opened up more, even nicknaming me. While he didn't talk to the other kids-they were probably still scared- he was always hanging out with me. Well, "hanging out" is a poor choice of words since the only place we could "hang out" was the small courtyard. This time of year, autumn, made it look peaceful; its one only tree swaying brown leaves that fell to the bench below that John and I had claimed.

"What are you up to now, J?

"We're breaking out."

The words came out as a whisper, but startled me anyway. We had lived here the majority of our lives; we needed three more years to leave and go about our lives. I still hated the place, sure, but John made it feel...homey. If it wasn't for the serious look on his face, I'd have thought he was joking, but my gut said otherwise.

"What do you mean 'breaking out'? Even if we tried, how would we pull it off? There's cameras in every exit as well as guards."

"You worry too much, Sel. Look." He shifted in his seat and started poking his arm, revealing an omni-tool. I gasped at the sight of it. While my parents were scientists and had omni-tools, I had never seen one so close, nor had I discovered where I was at the time.

Where did you get that?!"

"A guard. He fell asleep on duty and I decided to...'borrow' this for a while. With this, we can hack the cameras and cause a disturbance to distract the guards." He said with an enthusiasm I had never seen in him before. I knew that his one and only wish was to leave this damned place, but I never thought he'd go as far as to escape. "What do you think, Sel? You in?"

I was dumbstruck. I had no clue what to say. I didn't want to face the consequences should this go to hell, but deep down I was thrilled at the idea. We wouldn't have anywhere to go, but we would find someway to get by.

"Alright." I nodded. "When do we do this?"

"Tonight. Everything's set. First, I'll hack the fire alarms, that'll distract the guards. Then, the cameras. The guards will no doubt go inside due to the 'fire'," making quotation marks with his hands as he said fire, " When that happens, I'll be able to hack the cameras, leaving no evidence that we left."

Damn. He had everything plotted out. It was a long shot, but it was worth it.

"Its a helluva long shot, but its a good one. But what if something happens? Like one of the guards spotting us?"

"Then we go to plan B."

"And that would be...?"

"We run like hell."

Not the answer I was looking forward to.

"That doesn't sound appealing, J."

"Then lets hope things turn out the way we planned." he said with a smirk.

* * *

I wait an hour in the dormitory after everyone is asleep. It seemed like eternity watching every minute pass by. Finally, when the clock read 12:00 a.m., I slowly crawled out of my bed and stealthily made my way to the door. I glanced back just to get one last view of the dark room. Bunk after bunk was lined in rows, mine being in the corner. White, plain, walls surrounded us. Wow. This was like a prison. Thanks to John, though, I would finally bail. I clutch my bag tightly and exit.

At the courtyard, I found John hiding near the tree. Looking around to see if anyone was about, I head over there as quickly and quietly as possible.

"There you are. Alright, from here, I can hack the fire system and-"

"Yeah, yeah, you've already said that a billion times. Just do it already!" I said, anxiety filling my system. The more time I spent here, I realized, the more I would go crazy.

"Someone's eager to leave. Alright, then. Here goes nothing."

He activated his omni-tool and began poking buttons that who-knows-what did. How he knew this thing worked, I had no idea. School never thought us, believe it or not. Suddenly, the screeching sound of the fire alarm started, making the guards that were at the door run inside to the dormitories.

"Next: Cameras." And with that he clicked something else on his omni-tool. This time it took longer since hacking security was probably more sophisticated. I, for one, had no idea what he was doing or how. After his OT turned green for a few seconds along with a beep, he said, "Alrighty. We're good to go. Come on, quickly."

We slowly headed for the courtyard exit, bags in hand. Everything seemed quiet, save for the blaring fire alarm coming from the inside. Just as we stepped past the exit, we heard a shout. "Hey! Where are you two going?" it was a guard. Frankly, for a foster home, the guards always had at least light armor and a light weapon hoisted to their waist. Why I had no idea. This particular guard, however, began running towards us, and another one quickly took notice and followed his lead.

"Time for plan B! Run!" John yelled at me. Without a second thought, we dashed towards the street, the guards hot on our heels. We ran past people, shoving them aside. On the first corner we found, we made a sharp turn to the left. I glanced back, and sure enough, the guard was still coming at us. We made another sharp turn into an alley.

"Shit! It's a dead end!"

"You two! Come with us! The director will know how to deal with your behavior." One of the guards said.

"Like hell I'm going back into that hell hole! You'll have to drag me back dead!" John spat. In response, the guards pointed their respective guns at us.

"We won't say it again. Surrender."

"Why are you treating us like some criminals?" I asked, trying to avoid the fact that a gun is being pointed at me.

"That place isn't a normal foster home. All of you are cannon-fodder, tools to be used in some lab. Last chance. Surrender." The realization suddenly hit me when the guard confessed what that place was.

"You-You're Cerberus, aren't you?" I managed.

"You know too much, kid." With that he lowered his gun and shot me in my leg, darkness claiming my vision.

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**AN: OH, snap! What shall happen next? Frankly, I've no idea. XD I just write away, letting my imagination roam free. I do have a sort of plan, but how i execute said plan is a mystery even to me. Thanks for the reviews and follows, seeing them is what makes keep going! Stay tuned!**


	4. Chapter 4

I heard muffled sounds. Struggles. Then silence. I began to get used to the silence. Then, I felt something at my leg. Warm, wet. A ripping sound killed the silence. The warmness was washed away with coldness. Then, something wrapped around my leg. I didn't know what. My eyes were closed. At least, I think they were closed. Then, rough hands gently lifted my body to what I believe was a sitting position. A thumb, I realized, caressed my cheek. That is what made me open my eyes. Sky blue eyes looked into mine with what looked like relief and worry.

"Hmm...Joh-Wha-..." I couldn't find the strength speak. A pain began to settle in my leg.

"It's alright, Sel. You're safe. I patched you up a bit, but there's nothing I can do to stop the pain." he said as remorse filled his eyes. I began to snap out of my entranced state, remembering that we were running, then cornered, then...

"What happened?! The guards?!"

"I..." He faltered and instead glanced to his left, where the two guards laid on the ground, a puddle of blood underneath them.

_Oh my__ god, John... What have you done...? _

As if on cue, he started, "When the bastard shot you, I just...lost it. Omni-tools have a blade mechanism. I...I had to. They weren't going leave us alone until they or we died. I'm sorry. I had no other-"

"John. It's fine. You did the right thing. They would've killed us otherwise. Besides, we did the world a favor." I realized that whatever lied ahead would be what would change John into Commander Shepard. And I couldn't intervene in whatever shaped him.

"What did you call them? Cerberus? What is that?"

_Well, shit... I totally forgot that... _

"I...Let's get out of here first. I'll explain somewhere else."

His face was the spitting image of doubt if there ever was one, but nevertheless he nodded in approval.

"What do we do with the...the bodies? Do we just...leave them here?" He asked. I could tell this was the first kill for him. He was trying to hide it but he was failing poorly. I have to make him strong if he'll live up to the expectations. _How_ I would do that is beyond me.

"Leave them here. Let's get out of here." I started to get up, only to feel pain course through my whole left leg.

"AARGH! Shit, wait." I sat back down again then got up again, this time leaning on the wall and putting my weight on my right leg. Great. Fresh off the boat and already injured. Where's Dr. Chakwas or Dr. Michel when you need them? At last, I stood more or less upright and we began walking away from the alley, John carrying both his and my bag. We walked (well, I limped) a few blocks and found a park. We sat on a bench, away from the lights and bustle of the large city that was New York. We sat in silence for a while, thinking about what would lie ahead. John probably didn't have a clue, but I did.

_Earthborn Shepard...Hard life...Gangs...Join military at eighteen...How the hell was he going to manage that with me...? More than likely, he was alone in the game...And Cerberus...Cerberus was involved since the beginning...They obviously didn't know what he would do...Even they don't have technology to see the future...And how am I going to explain that I knew Cerberus to John...? Sigh...Wait...My parents, of course! They were scientists...It's a lie I'll have to say..._

"John...about those guards. I called them Cerberus. My parents were scientists, researching genetics. They came across Cerberus operatives during their research. I don't know much about them, other than their methods to find breakthroughs can be...harsh. They went to extreme measures to...to..." I drifted. Part of the lie was true. My parents had mentioned Cerberus once or twice during conversations. Then, they were making a big breakthrough in their project. And they died the next day.

_Oh god..._

"Sel, what's wrong?"

_It couldn't be... Maybe they didn't... Just a coincidence..._  
_A big fucking coincidence...It's obvious... Cerberus killed mom and dad..._  
_No..._

"Selena!" John shook me from my thoughts. My dreadful thoughts.

"Cerberus killed my parents..." I managed. "Those bastards killed mom and dad. It can't be a coincidence. Damn..."

_You can't think of this...You have to keep going..._  
_Cerberus killed my parents! I can't just forget them!_  
_If it's revenge that you want, you can get it...As soon as John becomes Commander Shepard...Otherwise, the whole galaxy is screwed..._

_"_Are you sure? I-I'm sorry." He pulled me in an embrace but I quickly pulled away. I don't need sympathy. I need to kill every damn Cerberus asshole out there. There's only one way to do that.

"I don't need coddling." I said, sternly. "We need to find a way to live here."

"Well, there's always stealing." He suggested calmly. I seriously didn't expect that from him. But it won't be enough.

"Yeah, but it's just a short-term solution. We can't just sleep in park benches or under bridges the rest of our lives. We need a stable source of income. And there's only one thing that I can think of."

"Which is?"

"We have to join a gang."

"A gang?! You can't be serious. I knew you were something else, but... A gang?!" I should have expected this, to be honest.

"Do you have another idea? I would gladly take it into account." I said, probably a tad too sternly than I wanted. We were silent for a while until John finally spoke.

"I guess you're right. You probably have more insight about the city than I. What gang would we join? Can we even do that? Just walk up to them and ask 'Hey, can we join you? Really?! Great, thanks. So, who's our first kill?'"

_Ouch..._  
_What do you expect? He's not Shepard. Not yet._

"The neighborhood I used to live in was controlled by the Templar Knights. I don't know where their hideout is but it's a start." Again, silence consumed us. Then broken yet again.

"Alright, then. I'm pretty much useless trying to figure out where we go. We should probably get some rest here; tomorrow, we check out the place. Alright?"

"Alright."

We made ourselves as comfortable as possible in the bench and fell asleep, using the stars as our blanket.

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**AN: Whew. Writers block can be a b**th sometimes. Thank you all for your reviews, fave's, and follows. And thanks to user James Fortune for all your help. Stay tuned for Chapter 5.**


	5. Chapter 5

Day 2 of converting John into Commander Shepard. I seriously need to come up with a new name for this undertaking. Nevertheless, as soon as we woke up, we headed for my old neighborhood. On the way, we found a small food stand from which we "borrowed" a couple of nutri-bars. They were actually not that bad, mostly they tasted like the Nature Valley granola bars from back home-which is the past or is it past life? At any rate, we used John's omni-tool to find our way around the city, which is increasingly large. Skyscrapers almost literally scrape the sky, ranging from corporations to apartments to government buildings. What used to be the "Big Apple" still is, only now it's twice the size filled with advertisements announcing new vids, physical alterations, and news on the five-year-old Human Embassy on the Citadel. By looking at John's map, it turns out that my neighborhood used to be the Bronx, a poor, gang-ridden neighborhood from my past life. It wasn't all that different today. It was more organized, cleaner streets, friendly-looking people, but turn in an alley, and you'll lose more than your money.

"This is the place?" John asked as we entered New Bronx.

"Yep. I know it looks civilized, but trust me when I say you're no safer here than with those Cerberus people. Everyone knows where...where..." I drifted as we came across my home, which was on sale. I never asked my parents why I didnt' have more family because I was happy the way we were. It was what I wanted in my past life. A mom and a dad in a nice home living together a normal life. I had that here...then Cerberus came. I know I said before that I didn't care much for them, but I actually did. More than I realized I still don't understand if Cerberus went rogue or if the Alliance let them go about however they wish. I seriously wish it's the former.

"What's wrong?"

"This... This is where I used to live. Twelve years of my life were spent here...Fucking Cerberus."

We stood in silence for a while until I spoke up.

"Come on, let's get going. There's an alley around here that is supposedly the Templar's hideout. I doubt it though. It's probably just a diversion." Without another word, I started for the alley that was a block away. John seemed like he wanted to say something, but didn't. Probably wanted to comfort me or something. That is something I don't need.

I find myself thinking more and more of how I'm going to kill the Illusive Man or whoever is in charge. I never wanted to physically tear someone in half before, maybe beat them up a bit, but not shred them to pieces and feed them to varren. I've a feeling that thinking as such is not healthy.

We turn into the alley that was too dark, despite the fact that there was not a cloud in the sky that could obscure the sun. The alley suddenly came to a dead end.

"Are you sure this is the right-"

"Shh! You hear that?"

"Hear wha-"

"SHH!"

A noise was coming from one of the walls. It sounded distant, but you could still hear it. It was a beeping sound, then a low swish! Before we realized it, we had three pistols pointed at us.

Must it always be like this?

"They look young. Naive. Bet they don't have much though." said one of them.

"What do you want, kids?" said another that seemed to be leading this little group.

"We're looking for Templar Knights. I'm presuming we found some, right?" I said firmly.

"Ha! She's got balls. But why were you looking for us?" said a girl dressed like the others: dark t-shirt with a red cross in the front, white hoodie, and jeans. Her hair was short, REALLY short, its color a midnight black shade, unlike the other two that had dark brown hair.

Very 21st century fashion...

"We want to join you. And before you start bickering about us being weak and shit, we know what it takes. We just killed two guys yesterday with an omni-blade because they were about to shoot us. Now, I highly suggest you lower your guns. We don't mean trouble."

"My friend here is right. All we want is to join you. Being with you is probably better than living in the streets. At least here, we'll have things to do to keep us busy and on our toes. So, you gonna let us in? Or should we go to another gang? I bet there's a lot of them here." John added. The three looked at each other and the one that looked like the leader nodded, motioning them to holster their gun.

That went better than anticipated...

"I'm Jacqueline. Just call me Jack." the girl said.

Wait. Jack? THE Jack? Nah. It couldn't be...right?

"That's Zeek. He's our lieutenant." pointing at the one that seemed to be the leader."That's Nate." pointing at the other.

"I'm Selena. This is John."

"Before you actually get to join us, you need to pass our test." Zeek said, "You need to prove your skill and your ability to survive. Our boss will score you."

"Who is your boss?" John asked.

"You'll meet her later." Nate said.

'Her', huh...? Well, this is getting interesting...

"What's involved in this test?" John asked.

"You'll be tested to see how well you can use weapons, whichever you feel comfortable with. The survival part... Well, you'll see for yourselves in a bit." answered Nate.

Interesting, indeed... What is this, a Harrowing?...

"Ready when you are then." I said. Truth was, I was quite eager to get this over with.

"Come on in." Zeek said. The SWISH! sound had been a hidden door opening and the beeping the access terminal to open it. The definition of hideout was being well used, apparently. Truth be told, I was expecting a rugged place with crumbling walls and nothing but bats-do they still exist?- and knives as weapons. I was quite wrong.

The place had a medieval/modern look to it. When entering, an armory filled with a variety of pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, and even snipers was on the left. A holographic shooting range at the right. Further down were rooms that I could only guess were storage or bedrooms. The walls, however, were what gave it a medieval feeling. Swords, shields, and armor hanged from the white walls. All the shields had a red cross on them- which I figured was probably from the Crusades era. Some looked battle-worn while others looked new or at least well cared for.

Zeek motioned us to enter the armory. "Alright. Grab a weapon." John chose an Avenger and I decided to be brave and chose a sniper rifle. "Now, head into the shooting range. Jack, you're up."

"Oh, for fucks sake. Why do I always have to teach the rookies?" Zeek sent her a glare that if looks could kill, she'd be nothing but a pile of ash.

Taking the hint, she accepted with an exasperated sigh. "Fuck, fine. Come on, you two." She led us to the shooting range, and a thought began to pop in my head. How did these people get all this tech and weapons? I mean, their a gang, they steal. But this was over the top. Assault rifles? Snipers? A freaking shooting range?

As if having read my thoughts, "This is a lot of tech for a regular gang." Wow, thanks John. Saved me the hassle to ask myself.

"Yeah, well, that's 'cuz this ain't a 'regular gang.' The boss used to be rich or something. Then, she lost everything and formed this gang. A while back, she raided another gangs' hideout. They had the stash of weapons which is now ours.

"We got the shooting range from some police warehouse we raided. Now, get your asses ready. You'll be doing target practice. Then, teach you a few things if you suck at it-which you probably do since you're just little shits still."

If I had a doubt this was the Jack before, it no longer existed. The majority of her sentences had at least one curse word. However, the fact that I had never held a gun in my life-or my past one-quickly erases that thought from my mind. I had a vague idea of how to use a gun, having seen too many action movies and video games before.

I positioned the butt of the sniper on my shoulder, looking down the scope. The sniper was surprisingly lighter than I had anticipated and felt comfortable around my hands. Turning to John, I saw him position himself with ease. In that moment, I was captivated by his expression. He was so focused at the task at hand, his eyes full of determination. The look he had could only be the famous Commander Shepard look. That look that revealed nothing but sheer determination and focus.

That, however, changed when he glances up at me and caught me staring. His expression changed so suddenly, without warning. It was now softer, warmer. His look was an open book ready to be read, relishing the ups and downs of it. He nodded at me, his Commander Shepard look taking over again. The change was, again, so sudden. I shook my head to clear my thoughts as I focused on the targets.

"Alright, you two. The targets will move around. You have to shoot at least five. Depending on where and how your target 'dies,' will gain you more points. These points will be counted and if you reach a certain number of points, you pass. Easy. Put on the show for the boss, won't you?" she said the last part pointing at a camera on the ceiling.

"I thought we were gonna meet your boss?"

"Not yet, cupcake. That'll be the in the next test."

She DID NOT just call me cupcake...

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**AN: Wow. That took a long time to write. The gang name came from playing too much Dragon Age during the past few days. Anyway, hope y'all are enjoying this. Please review, favorite, and/or follow. Or don't. I'd prefer of you did, though. Enough rambling. Onward to the next chapter!**

**UPDATED 3/24/14 just a few typos...**


	6. Chapter 6

"What did you call me?"

"Cupcake. Got stones in your ears or something...cupcake?"

_O__h, I'm am SO killing her..._

"I'm just gonna ignore you from here on out. Just start the damn thing."

"Ooh...Looks like Cupcake here is a bit touchy."

"Just turn on the damn thing already!"

"Alright, Cupcake."

_I sw__ear, one of the bullets from this sniper will end up on her skull. _

A buzzer sounds, indicating the start of the test. I begin to look for targets. The holo targets are shaped as members of a rival gang: the 3rd Streets. Some stand in place, others "run" to the side, others duck behind a holo-cover. I prepared myself for the recoil of the sniper and pulled the trigger.

God. That freaking hurt! Apparently, I had not prepared myself enough for the full force of the recoil and my shoulder felt like it had been on the receiving end of that bullet. I yelped slightly at the pain, though luckily John had not heard it. Gritting my teeth and clenching the rifle harder to ignore the pain, I fired another shot, hitting a target square in the head. My shoulder still felt that it was being shot at everytime I fired, so I decided to speed things up. I began to pick off targets faster, missing a couple but eventually getting to them.

John didn't even seem to flinch. Looking very closely, however, revealed his clenching teeth at every bundle of shots. Part of me felt relieved that I wasn't being weak or something of that sorts, but another part didn't relish the fact that John was in pain. It felt...wrong.

_Good god, Sel...Its a training sim... He's not going to die.._.

_What if he sprains it too much...? Breaks it...?_

_You're getting distracted... Just shoot the damn targets.._

_Right... Targets.._.

Bullets, pain, and grunts passed by for another agonizing four minutes until the holo range finally buzzed again, the sim coming to an end. John looked like he was about to pass out and I'm pretty sure I had the same expression. My knees shook and gave in, making me fall knees-first onto the ground. My wound had healed, so that didn't worry me. What worried me was the fact that a couple of practice shots drained all my strength.

_What the hell is wrong with you?! Five minutes and you __give in? _

_Cut yourself some slack, Sel. You've never even held a gun before.__.._

_The Reapers won't care who can or can't hold a damn gun! I know some time still has to pass, but I'm __not living the Reaper War in blood and flesh as I watch the galaxy crumble!_

_The Reapers won't be here until some time... Calm. Down. You have the Savior of the goddamn Galaxy wrapping his arms around you, trying to snap some __sense to you.__.._

_Ugh, bloody hell! You just don't unders- wait __what?_

"Sel! Selena! Wake up! Come on, don't leave me here!" John pleaded in whispers as he shook her limp body.

"Mmm...Alex?"

"Uh...Its me, John." John said, slightly confused.

_Holy crap. Did I just call him Alex? Fuck! I thought I was past that! Was I dreaming that fight with myself since I seem to be lying on the floor? Say something!_

"Sorry. Forgot I wasn't dead."

_Da fuck is going on, Selena?! Let me do the talking_!

"When did you die?" John asked playfully, yet squinting my eyes, I cleary saw worry and confusion.

"Long time ago..."

_Did you not hear me?! I thought you said you weren't going to tell him!_

Ignoring the annoying voices in my head, I realized the extremely small distance between me and John. His breath still smelled of his mint toothpaste from a day ago. His big green eyes looking into my hazel ones. I didn't know what was happening in my head, but in that moment, it was just him.

"Love birds, snap out of it!"

_Jack... I hate you so much right now... Ruined a perfect moment_...

_What's that supposed to mean_?

_Did I say perfect moment? I meant_-

_You're still on the floor_...

_Shit_...

"I'm fine. Let me get up." I lifted myself from the floor, trying not to use John too much as leverage.

"Guess firing a sniper when all you ate were nutri-bars is a bad idea, huh?" I joked.

"Tell me about it. But seriously, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. But, are you alright?"

"Love birds, cut the chatter! Come with me to show you your scores."

_And there you go again..._

After reassuring John again, we followed Jack into one of the rooms I saw that I believed were bedrooms. Well, at least one of them isn't. Right next to the shooting range was a control room, where a woman was sitting behind several screens which I assume were security monitors.

"Here they are, boss."

_Boss?! Well..._

"thank you, Jack. Go see Zeek. Tell him I said they are cleared."

"Wow. That good? Well, see ya, Lovebirds."

Well at least she cut the cupcake crap...

"Selena and John. I'm Helena. Helena Blake."

_Da fuck?! Helena Blake?!_

"A pleasure. I'm impressed with your arsenal of weapons." John said as he shook her hand. I was still kinda dazed by her name. Of course, she looked way younger. Could it actually be THE Helena Blake? First Jack, now Helena... Things aren't the same...

"Thank you. And I'm impressed with you two. Your scores exceeded all the other initiates. So, you'll be excused from the Survival test. To put this short, welcome to the Templar Knights gang."

"Thanks for accepting us, Helena. Frankly, I thought it'd be harder." I said.

"Ha! It would have if you hadn't scores so high. Most of your shots were headshots or on vital areas such as the chest. You especially, young lady, did an excellent job with that sniper. So much so that you fainted afterwards it seems."

"Uh, thanks for the compliment. Quick question, how were we scored? And what was the expectation?"

"Well, headshots were twenty points, chest hits were ten, arms, legs and other non-vital parts five. The 'expectation' as you said was to score at least one hundred points. You two however..." she spun on her chair to face one of the screens and typed in something on the keyboard. Two names and two scores appeared on screen:

_John-Score: 2__10_

_Selena-Score: 205 _

"Holy. Fucking. Hell. How the hell did we manage to get a score like that?!" I asked incredulously.

"More importantly, how did we manage to come out so close?" John added.

"I assume you took some type of weapons training, correct?" Helena asked.

John and I looked at each other then burst of into a fit of laughter.

"I fail to see what you find so amusing..." Helena said.

_So formal... Jeez... Talk about a buzz killer..._

"Sorry. Its just... Well..." John started.

"We escaped our foster home. Killed two guards trying to kill us. Never held a gun before." I finished.

Helena's eyes widened at the news. I'm pretty sure my reaction would've been the same if not worse if I were in her shoes.

"You're joking, right?" Her disbelief grew as we merely grinned at her, answering a silent 'no.'

"Unbelievable. You two should be in the military or something. However, I beat them to the punch so now you're talents will not go to waste. Incredulous revelations aside, as you may have noticed, we are not like the other ordinary gangs. We are the most powerful and control the majority of the city.

"Our goal is to eliminate the other gangs and stand as the sole ruler of the city. Of course, New York is a large place. Luckily, we are a large gang. And since you have proven to be quite skilled, I am sending you to our main base."

"I thought this was your main base." I commented.

"For New Bronx, yes. But not for the whole gang. I will tell you more tommorow. For now..." she lifted her arm and brought her omni-tool to life, speaking into it. "Jack. Come in."

Seconds later, Jack entered the room.

"'Sup?"

"Jack, please escort our two new recruits to their new bedroom."

"Yep, sure, boss. Come on, lovebirds."

_And there she goes again with the nicknames... I am going to beat the crap out of her as soon as I don't feel like shit anymore..._

We followed Jack out of the security room and down the hall, entering a small room with two beds, two closets, and a small bathroom.

_Well... This is quite impressive... I could get used to this..._

"Here you are, kiddos. Lunch'll be served in an hour so try not to make too much noise while you two are alone, alright lovebirds?"

_She didn't... She did not just suggest that John and I__ are going to... Oh I'm am SO killing her..._

"Thanks Jack. And quit it with the nicknames. For your own safety." I said coldly.

"Pfft! 'For my own safety.' Like you could take me on." Jack challenged.

"As a matter of fact, I could." I responded.

"That a threat, Cupcake?" Jack smirked.

"Just cut it out before things get ugly." I threatened.

"Okay, ladies. Back off. Jack leaves us alone. Sel's just a bit tired. Let her rest." Jack interrupted.

"Sure. I'll leave you two lovebirds. Have fun! Oh, and remember," she said as she was walking out, "Use protection!"

"Oh she is so dead!" I growled as she left. John grabbed me by the waist to impede my bloodrage. His warm hands calmed me somewhat.

"Calm down, Sel. Its been a tough day. Just rest for a bit, alright?" John said.

"But I don't wanna rest." I pouted. "I'm too tired to rest..."

"So what do you want to do then ,hm?"

_A lot of things to that smexy bod of- woah! Waaay off track..._

"Er... I guess... Well... Sigh. There isn't much to do here and I kinda feel like shit, so... Fine. I'll rest for a while." I said plainly.

"Alright. I'll tell you when lunch is ready. I'm asuming one of these rooms is some kind of cafeteria or dining room or something. Rest." He said and I quickly threw my self on the bed, exhaustion filling my body and John's smile bluring as sleep consumes me.

* * *

**AN: OH MY GOSH! That took a helluva a lot longer than it should have. I am SO sorry for leaving you guys so long. Hope you enjoyed it and already working on next chapter. Unfortunately, semester exams are next week so I'll be bogged down with studying during the weekend and tests the entire week (blasted Real Life.) At any rate, I apologize for leaving you guys alone for so long and I will try with great effort to have the next chapter before the end of next week. Toodles! **

PS THANKS FOR ALL YOUR REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAV's! THINGS LIKE THAT IS WHAT KEEPS ME GOING SO IF YOU'RE ENJOYING THIS PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO REVIEW, FOLLOW, OR FAV.


	7. Chapter 7

_Bright lights. Sheer pain on all my left side of my body. The world spins and my helmet gets knocked off. My face scrapes with the concrete. Darkness._

* * *

I jolt up in a sitting position on the bed. _Damn. A nightmare of my death. God... Breathe... Breathe... You're a__live... You got a job to do...Save a galaxy from a pending destruction...Jesus why did I get chosen to do this? Maybe I read the Mass Effect codex more times than normal__, but still... I- _

"Sel. You okay? You look pale."

_And here's the Savior of the Galaxy... In blood and flesh..._

"Yeah. Just...bad dream." I managed to say, not wanting to worry him.

"I brought you your lunch. I thought it'd be better for you to rest." He said as he put a tray with food on a table. "I...didn't want to wake you. You looked pretty tired." He added, rubbing the back of his neck.

_Ah, the infamous 'I'm nervous' give away of Commander Shepard... Wait. Why is he nervous?_

"Thanks, J. You didn't have to. In fact, I would've appreciated if you had woken me up from that...nightmare."

"You, uh, wanna talk about it?" he asked nervously, kneeling next to my bed.

_You know, this is actually cute... Knowing John instead of Commander Shepard... Same person, different personalities..._

"I...no. Not right now, anyway. Thanks though. For worrying. You don't have to, you know." I said.

"Yeah, well. You're my friend. My first one, actually. And we've known each other for quite a while."

_Trust me, I know more of you than you can imagine..._

"Yeah. We have." We both stayed quiet, wanting to speak unspoken words. Well, at least, that was my case. He was, after all, extremely close to me.

_Damn it! Why do you keep thinking like that?_

"Your wound's healed. You heal pretty quickly." he said while looking at my leg, breaking the ice.

"Yeah, I know. Well, I knew my wound was healed, but I didn't know I healed so quickly."

"Well, I'm sure you're hungry. And so am I, so lets eat." he said, standing up.

"You haven't eaten?" I asked, surprised.

"No. I, uh, wanted to eat with you. If that's fine with you, of course." he said, rubbing his neck yet again.

"Yeah that's fine." I said, trying not to sound too excited. "We did just finish saying friends, didn't we? You don't have to ask." I said sincerely.

I got up, stretching my sore arms and legs. I then made my way to the table where John was sitting, waiting for me. I sat across him and began eating.

_God, this is soooo good... Its been quite a while since I ate something this good, since..._

_Stop thinking about those times, Sel... You're just gonna hurt yourself more..._

_Damn... Sorry, Alex... Guess I'll be absent for a long time, huh?_

_Snap out of it! John's looking at you..._

"You don't like the chicken?" John asked with a very small drop of disappointment in his voice. "I should've chosen something else for you. Sorry."

"What? Oh, no. This is extremely delicious." I said with a smile. "I was just thinking about..." _Should I tell him? Is he ready to know that the fate of the galaxy will rest on his shoulders in a few years? No... Not yet..._

"You don't have to tell me. It's fine. We all got our something's." He said, quoting what he said the first time we talked.

I smiled at him, recognizing the 'We all got something' phrase and thanking his understanding. It felt wrong not to tell him, but he wasn't ready. Not yet, anyway. We ate in a somewhat awkward silence. When we finished, John left to throw away our trash in the kitchen trash can.

I decided that now would be a good time to change into something more comfortable. I found my bag next to my bed and took out a black tank top and track pants. It looked more comfortable than my torn blue jeans and blue sweatshirt. I took my clothes and entered the bathroom to change.

That's when I saw the shower. It was a half bathtub, half shower. An assortment of shampoos and soaps filled a cabinet next to the sink mirror. Towels were stacked in a small cubby next to the shower. It may seem normal to anyone, but for someone who spent three years showering in a small shower of a foster home, this was heaven.

_Very tempting...Ah, screw it... Shower it is..._

I turned the handle to hot water, filling the tub. I added a lavender-scented bubble bath I found in the cabinet. I then stripped and slowly entered the tub. MY GOSH! It felt_ sooooo_ relaxing. Being shot, sleeping in a park bench, and almost breaking your arm off while shooting a sniper can really stress your body. On top of that, worrying that you have to guide the Savior of the Galaxy into the correct path when you have no idea, or at least a very small one, adds to that stress.

Despite the fact that my body begged for it to stay in the tub forever, I stood after some ten minutes and flushed the tub, then took a quick shower. After I had changed into my clothes and more or less dried my hair-it was kind of long and tedious to brush at the best of times- I exited the bathroom. Upon entering the bedroom, I found John... Shirtless.

_Did he work out in the foster home? He spent most of his free time with me... But...man, look at those abs..._

_Selena?_

_They're so very defined..._

_You're staring... Snap out of it..._

_And his arms..._

_You're checking him out, Selena... Snap. Out. Of. It._

"Oh! Uh, Sel! I, uh, didn't, uh, see you there." John said very nervously as he frantically searched for something in his bag.

"Uh... Yeah. I was...taking a shower..." I said, still looking at him. Damn i couldn't get my eyes off him. And he was noticing it.

"You, uh, need anything?" he said as he quickly put on his white t-shirt.

_Show's over, girl. Snap out. Time to go back to reality._

"No. No, I was just... Going to go for a walk," I said, averting my eyes to the floor. "since I doubt we'll be doing anything 'til tomorrow."

"Alright. You...want company?"

_He's offering to come with me even after this very awkward moment we just had? Wow... That was totally unexpected._

"If you want. You don't have to if you don't want to." I said, finally raising my gaze to meet his.

"Yeah. I like being around you. You know, as friends..." he quickly added the last part.

"That's...nice of you to say, J. I...like being around you too." I said, feeling heat rush to my ears.

_You totally do no regret having said that... Something's happening, Sel... And you know it..._

_Are you suggesting that I ..._

_I'm not suggesting anything... I'm confirming it..._

_Please... You think I'd fall in love with John? I'd sooner ask Jack out..._

_Whatever you say..._

"Well... Where were you gonna go walk?" John asked, breaking my train of thoughts.

"Nowhere, really. Just walk around. Try to forget some things. Maybe sight-see. I used to do this with Ale-Woah. Sorry. Got carried away."

_Jeez, Selena. When are you going to stop thinking of the past?_

_When it stops bugging me!..._

"You keep mentioning that name. Was he a friend of yours? You said you lived in this area. Does he live around here?"

_No, he actually lives in Texas. Of 2014. Who knew?_

_Quit being a jerk and answer him..._

"Uh, no. He...moved a few days before my parents died. I've no idea where." I lied.

"Oh. Sorry. I can tell he meant a lot to you."

"Well, let's go. I want to come back before sundown." I said, changing the subject.

"Alright, then. Lets get going." John said plainly, clearly understanding that I didn't want to talk about this subject matter.

* * *

AN: I am going to regret doing this. I should be studying right now... I hate myself. BUT I would hate myself even more if I let you guys waiting another week. So I decided to cram in this little chapter to sate yourself at least for a while. It doesn't move the story on much. I practically want to just skip the whole "Creating Commander Shepard" thing and jump right into the thick, juicy conflict(s). But patience is wisdom, and unfortunately I lack both. XD Nevertheless, If y'all have any suggestions about what you would like to see in the near future, PM me your requests and I will promptly add them to the storyline wherever it fits. Now I should at least study a little... Tally-ho!

P.S- I love y' ll! Thanks for the reviews, follows and favs! I3yall


	8. Chapter 8

AN: I caught a break. A REALLY BIG BREAK! After testing was done we were released early and I quickly got to work. You guys are the luckiest people ever. Guess y'all won't have to wait so long after all. Enough stalling though. Let us begin. Working on next chapter as soon as this one goes up. Enjoy!

* * *

After a very long and awkward silent walk, John and I returned to the hideout at sundown. All of this futuristic setting has left me awestruck and unsettled all at the same time. The city seemed so large and bright but also dark and frightening. I don't know what made me feel that but having John walking beside me removed that sensation.

We reached the hideout and John invited me to the dining room. It was quite large. It seemed more like a cafeteria than a dining room. Rows of tables filled the room. Most of them were occupied with other members that I didn't recognize. Well, I recognized three: Nate, Zeek, and Jack. John motioned me to the long hotdog-stand like counter that was filled with a variety of food: pizza, salads, chicken, lasagna, sandwiches. John chose lasagna and I went for a sandwich, not feeling too hungry.

We were about to sit down on a table when I heard a very familiar and somewhat annoying voice.

"Yo! Lovebirds! Come over here!"

_Ah, Jack... I have no doubt in my mind you are indeed THE Jack. How I am going to fit you in if you're all the way over here is beyond me..._

"Hey, guys!" John said. "Can we sit?"

"Sure!" Nate said enthusiastically.

John and I sat next to each other to face our invitees.

"So...Lovebirds, huh?"Zeke asked.

_Oh, god... Not you too..._

"Please don't call us that. Jack is annoying enough as it is." I said as John and I began to eat.

"You know it's true." Jack interjected.

"Did you tell us to come over here just to tease us?" John asked. This obviously made John uncomfortable just as much as it did to me.

"No. Well, sorta. But we also wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot." John and I said simultaneously, which caused a giggle te escape from me.

"Strangely cute giggle aside," Nate said, and I felt John shift uncomfortably in his seat, " Where did you two learn to shoot like that? You two are extremely young to know things like that on your own."

"Well-

"Honestly-

I burst into another fit of giggles. Twice already John and I had said something at the same time.

_Three times a charm..._

_Shut it..._

"Lovebirds, quit chirpin' and start singing."

Talk about figurative language... Sheesh ...

"Aw, come on , Jack. You can never get enough of that giggle. I know I can't." Nate said.

Is...is he...flirting?! With me?! Nah probably just being friendly... Right?

"Careful, Nate. Little J here's gonna get jealous." Jack said playfully.

"You can start, Sel." John said as he tugged the collar of his shirt, his pitch slightly higher than normal.

"Right," I started, ignoring John's unusual behavior. "Let me put it in very simple terms for you: neither John nor I had never, _ever_ held a gun before in our sixteen years of existence."

The shocked faces from Nate, Zeke, and Jack were quite amusing. Zeke's jaw,was actually dropped a bit.

"What the hell? Are you saying that-"

"You've never held a gun before? _The fuck?!"_ Jack interrupted Nate.

"Yep." John began. "I've been stuck in a foster home the majority of my life. Sel came in at twelve. We got to know each other for three years and we escaped that hell hole a day ago. Had to kill two guys that shot Sel, but I didn't use a gun."

"That's quite the story, John. So...Selena, right?" I nodded in response to Zeke. "So he was at the foster home all his life. What did you do for your first twelve years?"

_Wow... Totally didn't see that coming... If you count right, though, it would be twenty five years if you count my past life but I'm not going into that..._

"Well, I lived a normal life. Went to school, had parents. I actually lived here in New Bronx."

"Really?"

"Yeah. That house for sale near the entrance of the neighborhood, that's where I used to live."

"The Davidson's, right? Heard what happened to them. Sorry." Nate said.

"I'll get used to it eventually. At least, I hope I do. Its hard enough thinking about...other stuff."

_Go right ahead and spill the soup, Sel. Go on. It's not like they'll freak out or anything if you tell them about the Reapers. Or think you're crazy._

_Shut it!_

"What other stuff?" Jack asked playfully.

_The fate of the galaxy, for one._

"Er... Just... Stuff." I said as I stuffed a piece of my sandwich into my mouth, thankful for the excuse to shut up.

"Like what?" Jack persisted. "Thinking when you're gonna fuck Little J here?"

_OH MY GAWD! Jaqueline Nought, you are SO** DEAD!**_

Bith John and I tried not to choke on the food and, taking a large gulp of water to hide the blush I felt surfaced, I tried to retaliate.

"Jack. Let me be perfectly clear. *cough* Me. John. Not together. Comprende?"

"I 'comprende' the fact that you two are just waiting for one of you to make a move. You practically drool over each other, for fuck's sake."

"We do not drool over each other." John defended.

"You went all deus ex machina on two guys who shot her, didn't you?" Nate dove in.

_Nate, you do NOT want to be caught in the hell I'm planning for Jack..._

"Nate, if you still want to keep your head on your shoulders, I suggest you don't stick your nose in. Same for you, Jack. And Zeke if you're thinking of butting in." I threatened.

"I just find all this extremely funny." Zeke said with a smirk.

"Guys, let's just...talk about something else, please." John said.

"Fine. Ruin my fun." Jack pouted.

_Its real nice to know Jack and not the psychotic biotic... She won't kill me-at least I hope she doesn't- but still keeps her 'I don't give a damn' attitude..._

We talked a while more about each other. Nate's dad had been a Templar as well, so when he died, Nate joined up at thirteen, five years ago. Zeke had a similar life to that of John's and at eigtheen he joined, finding no other way. This was his seventh year with the gang. Jack simply answered with a "Fuck off," obviously not wanting to talk about it.

The cafeteria began to empty so we parted ways.

"Have fun, Lovebirds!" Jack said as she and the guys left. When she was at the exit of the cafeteria, she yelled, "Use protection!"

"That's it!" I said as I began to stomp my way toward a fleeing Jack. However, arms wrapped around my waist to stop my rampage.

"Woah! Easy there, Tigress. She's just messing around."

_Tigress?!_

"Fine. I suppose I'll kill her some other day. We should probably go to sleep...Tiger." I said with a smirk.

John chuckled nervously as his white skin began to turn slightly pink.

_The great Commander Shepard is blushing! Where's a camera when you need one?_

_He's not Commander Shepard yet, remember?_

_Still, he looks awfully cute._

_Cute?_

I turned around, pretending that I hadn't seen him blush, and headed for the bedroom. John didn't follow, probably waiting for the blush to fade. I changed into an oversized white t-shirt and black shorts. John still hadn't arrived yet by the time I was laying down on my bed and sleep consuming me. Before I fell completely asleep, I heard the door open, slightly illuminating the dark room. I didn't have to open my eyes to know it was John.

I heard a shuffling of clothes and was tempted to sneak a peek.

_Selena, you gotta sleep... Stop check- what are you doing?!_

I peered through my eyes and saw John change into a similar attire to mine.

_FOCUS!_

_Oh, I'm focusing... _

_But not on him! You have to guide him, not check him out!_

When he finished changing he sat on the bed and began to look at...me. He was oblivious to the fact that I was staring back, since the room was dark. He just...looked at me. Watching over me. I made a slight snoring sound and he chuckled softly. Then, he laid down to sleep.

After what seemed like eternity, sleep consumed me with fleeting thoughts of John watching over me.

**AN: Ah, Jack. Always a pleasure dealing with her. I want to thank all of you for your patience and support. Sate a curiosity: Do you guys want me to jump right in and tell John his fate, or do you want more story plot? Lemme know because i have two ideas for the next chapter. And i wanted y'all's ideas. Or if you want mystery, then i have a card up my sleeve as well. See y'all!**

**PS: Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows. Everytime I see a new follow, fave, or review, I am encouraged to write even more.**


	9. Chapter 9

"Today, you two will be headed to the main base. There, you will work as a team with Jack, Nathaniel, and Ezekiel."

"Out of curiosity, why are they coming?" I asked.

"They are the senior members here and I find their skill fitting and similar to yours. They will come in handy during your assignments."

"What kind of assignments, Helena?" John asked.

"Mostly, you'll be bothering gangs with raids and the like. As your skill progresses, you'll be given other, more difficult assignments. You will receive these missions via omni-tool, which will be provided to you upon your arrival. Any more questions?"

John and I shake our heads in response.

"Very well, then. The car should be here in a minute. The others have already been informed. Just wait at the exit, they'll catch up with you. Once you arrive at HQ, I will contact you. Good luck."

We exit Helena's office and head for the exit, bags in hand. As we neared the exit, I caught sight of Jack and the boys.

"Hey, guys. So, we're big shots now?"

"Apparently so, Nate. Y'all ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, Cowgirl."

Confused and taken aback by his pet name for me, I ask him why he decided to name me Cowgirl.

"Your voice has a slight hint of Southern accent to it. Then you said 'yall,' something cowboys uses to say like in the 20th century. So you're Cowgirl now."

_My voice does NOT sound Southern..._

_It used to..._

_It did not!_

A honk from outside broke my chain of thoughts. Zeke opened the door, revealing a black skycar.

Oh, hell yes! I've always wondered how it would feel like to ride one of these! My parents had a car, but not a skycar. It was a 2150 Chevy Camaro. Yes, surprisingly companies from a century ago still exist. Though now, manufacturers are starting to make more skycars.

My thoughts raced as I looked out the window, my excitement waning. Things were beginning to fall into place. Two more years and John has to join the Alliance. That was going to be a doozy. Mostly because I had to join up too. But that's why we joined this gang: to toughen up and get some skills.

The skycar came to a stop and descended to the front of a large warehouse overlooking what remained of the Statue of Liberty. From what i was taught at school, some big civil war broke out, causing the U.S to become two separate nations. In that war, the Statue of Liberty suffered some major damage.

We exited the vehicle when it stopped and headed inside, where someone was waiting for us.

"You're the new team? Come on in" she beckoned.

The place looked... exactly like the one I had just left. The only difference was the shooting range. This one was much larger and had a room adjoining it for exercising. We followed the woman to the armony.

"Alright. First, we'll give you the casual outfit. Then, armor and weapons. Your omni-tools next and your living quarters at the end. For now, put your bags in the corner so you can try out the clothes and armor.

_Uh... armor? I wasn't counting on that..._

_Did you expect to run around with a gun in a T-shirt?_

_Point taken._

The casual outfit was actually too casual. White tee with the Templar knight emblem on the front and back, black cargo pants, and combat boots.

_Better start getting used to these boots..._

Then... the armor. The armor looked... Fucking Amazing. It was a black chrome with the red cross emblem of the Templars on the right shoulder blade in front. There was light, medium, and heavy armor. Jack, being a biotic, got light armor. John went for medium, Nate and Zeke heavy and I decided on some medium.

Jack chose a pistol for her weapon, Nate, Zeke and John an assault rifle and pistol and I chose a pistol and sniper rifle. While my first experience with a sniper wasn't exactly perfect, I was intrigued... and stubborn.

Next, we got omni-tools, except John who still had the one he stole from the guard. It was truly incredible. They're whole when you're not wearing them, but when you slip it on your arm, it disappears after it scans your fingerprints to identify you. I found myself very intrigued with discovering how this little thing worked.

"Alright. You're all set up. Grab your bags and follow me to your rooms."

We got all of our clothes, armor, weapons, and bags and followed the woman who had still to introduce herself. Each of us was given a separate bedroom. They were very much like the one's at New Bronx: A bed on the far right corner, a closet next to the bathroom, a desk (this one actually had a computer unlike New Bronx HQ), and a small table for eating or working.

I unpacked my clothes and organized them into the closet as well as my armor. I stored the weapons in a small cubby on the bottom of my closet. Haven't received a message yet, I decided to check on the others. Jack was next door so I decided to check up on her first.

I knocked on the door twice and waited.

"Hold up!" came from inside.

A minute later the door opened and Jack bid me in.

"What's up?"

"Just wanted to check up on you."

"Well, this is a helluva lot better than my old room. Roommate was kinda weird."

"Do I even want to know?" I said, crossing my arms and shifting my weight on one leg.

"Probably not. So, did you come to spy me while I put my stuff away, or what?"

"I don't spy on anyone." I defended.

"What about Little J?"

"What about him? Besides, he's not even here. Why mention him?"

"Woah, there! Don't gotta get al touchy on me. Didn't know things were so bad." Jack said playfully.

"'Things' don't exist. We're just friends."

"Right..."

"I'm just gonna go check on the others." I said exasperated.

"Alrighty. See ya, Cupcake."

_Good lord... Not again..._

* * *

"Hey, Selena! You know, this place is a whole lot better."

"Yeah? Jack said the same thing."

"You talked to her?"

"Yes. She said she prefers this place since she doesn't have to deal with her roommate anymore."

"What?! But... I was her roommate!"

"Seriously? What did you do to her, Nate?"

"Nothing! Not a thing."

_Maybe that's why_...

"Don't pay attention to it. Its not like you have to impress her or anything."

Nate looks down at the floor and doesn't reply.

_No... Really?! Didn't see that coming..._

"Nate. Do you-"

"Of course not!"

"Do you even know what I was going to say?"

"If I like Jack. I don't."

"That blush on your face says otherwise." I said with a smirk.

"Damn it!"

"Admit it, Nate. You. Like. Jack." I pressed.

"Fine! Fine, I do."

"Is that why you were flirting with me? To see if Jack got jealous or something ?"

"Wha- No!" He replied meekly.

"Sure, Nate..."

"But it does seem I made someone else jealous." Nate grinned.

_Why does everyone bring him up? Can't we just have a normal conversation?_

"Who?" I feigned.

"Please, Sel. Don't act like you didn't see it. John got all stirred up when I went complementing that cute giggle of yours which I want to articulate who cute I find it."

"Nate. Please. IF something were to happen between John and I, which I-"

"-hope it does-" Nate interjected with a smirk

"-doubt it will happen," I corrected. "Jack is...different. She's closed off and put up big huge steel walls that say 'fuck off' all over the place. But I know that if you manage to bring those walls down, you'll find a scared, vulnerable girl." I said sincerely.

Nate seemed to ponder on this. I guessed he didn't know Jack, and if I think long and hard, neither do I because she's supposed to be locked up in a Cerberus base right now. But I know something bad happened to her if she maintained her 'psychotic biotic' attitude. Nate finally spoke up.

"And how would you know all this?"

"Women's intuition. Never doubt it." I said with a shrug.

"Hmmm... Frankly, I don't know whether to believe your 'woman intuition' or just kick it out the front door." I raised an eyebrow an gave him a look, though he caught on that it was playful by the smirk on my face. "But... I don't know. What would you do? With John? And don't deny that you don't like him because you do."

_Bloody hell... I don't. Like. Him. At. All._

_You sure about that?_

_Shut it!_

"I'm going to reiterate the fact that I'm only friends with John and put myself in your shoes. I'd try to find the largest pickaxe there is around and start bringing her walls down. But not like a bulldozer. Just...slowly." I advised.

"Pickaxes don't exist anymore. But I get your point. Alright. You better be right. Now, if you excuse me," he said as he grabbed his Templar casual clothes, "I'm going to change."

"Alrigh-"

beep, beep, beep.

_My omni-tool. How the hell do you answer this thing?_

"I'll be on the bathroom if you need anything, Sel." Nate said as I found the 'answer' button and turned around.

"Selena. How is the team adjusting?"

"Perfectly, Helena. We have all our equipment and have been assigned rooms." I answered.

"Good. I'm sending you and the others your first assignment. Follow the instructions and you'll be fine. Good luck."

The screen blinked and closed. That was quick... Not a minute later, the omni-tool rang again, alerting me of a new message.

Sender:HBlake

Receiver(s): SDavidson, JShepard, JNought, NJackson, EWayne

Head over to Midwood . A pizzeria named "Mario's" is owned by a Mario Rossi. I've sent you the NavPoint. He owes us some protection money. Find him, collect the debt, and return to HQ. Take your weapons and armor to intimidate him.

-H

_Guess I better get ready..._

"Nate, you get the message?" I called to inside the bathroom.

"Yep. I'll suit up in a bit. You should get ready too."

I leave his room to change. Putting on my casual Templar outfit first, I then proceed to put on my armor. Chestpiece, arms, and gauntlets. Then legs and feet. I holstered my pistol on the left side of my hip and the sniper on my back. A quick look-over on the mirror revealed what I would become: a battle-hardened soldier. But for now, I'm still nothing but a lowly gangster trying to survive.

_Let's do this._

* * *

AN: Well. This week didn't turn out as I had planned. I started this chapter very strangely at first. Too strange, so I had to start again after the time jump didn't make sense. Then, other real life crap I wish I didn't have to deal with. BUT I highly appreciate all the feedback I got from y'all. By popular request, John won't find out he has to save the galaxy fem certain destruction. At least until it can make sense. Who knew Nate and Jack could be an item? Yet, who's saying they're going to be one? Stay tuned on the Mass Effect FanFic Channel to find out what happens next. Only on Channel FF!


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Oh my gosh, ten chapters! Thank you to ALL OF YOU! At first, I thought this wouldn't be recognized or at least viewed. Then, I get all of you awesome people that review, follow, and/or favorite my story and it makes me really grateful. Again, thank you. :')

But while I could write another ten chapters thanking you, I'm sure you'd rather read the story, right? This chapter is filled with a lot (Read: A lot=HUGE AMOUNTS) of emotional roller coasters and one tiny evil that I will make you live through. (So much for me thanking you)

Longest AN ever aside, ONWARD!

* * *

"Get down!"

"Shit!"

"Jack, get the guys on the right!"

"Die, fuckers!"

"Nate, your left!"

"Bring on the pain!"

"I got the ones taking cover behind the bar!"

"Alright, Sel. Zeke-"

"I know what to do, John!"

The firefight kept going for what seemed hours. The pizzeria was trashed and the Mario dude changed allegiance to another gang, which, at the moment, had ambushed us. Thank god for the armor. Unfortunately-or is it fortunately?- for them, they were wearing casual clothes, making them easy to pick off.

Right now, my sniper became my best friend. Some of the gangsters had taken cover behind a small bar along the right wall of the pizzeria. Adrenaline running through me, I picked off the first. Then the second, and a third. Two more and I was done. The others were done as well, and as the adrenaline faded from me, my body weakened at the thought of what had just happened: i had killed.

It was bound to happen sooner or later I knew. But... I thought I'd be ready. I thought it would be not five but one. Panic began to replace the adrenaline.

_I can't deal with this!_

_Yes you can! You have to!_

_I just fucking killed someone! Five to make matters worse!_

_Which were trying to kill you!_

_That doesn't make it any better..._

_Deal with it. That's the brutal calculus of war. Lose your innocence now so you won't have to deal with it when it truly matters._

"Everyone alright?" asked John.

_No..._

"All good. Damn! That was way too easy!" Jack exclaimed.

"Sel? You okay?"

_No. I feel like shit but there's nothing I can do about it._

"Yeah. I'm fine. Lets head back to HQ."

* * *

"Good job handling the situation. What happened to Rossi?"

"He ran before we could get to him."

"Hm. Well, that doesn't matter now, Selena. You did the job, and did it well. You didn't die and you won, despite being outnumbered. Good job. Get some rest. Helena out."

The screen faded and disappeared, leaving the five of us alone in the debrief room.

"Well guys," Jack started as she stood up and stretched, " I'm hungry as hell. Anyone know where the cafeteria is?"

Jack, being a biotic, helped us greatly in the ambush. She almost burned out, though she wouldn't admit it. Hence, the hunger.

"I think I saw it when we walked here. Come on, Zeke. You look pretty tired too." Nate said.

"You coming?" Zeke asked John and me. I was still kind of dazed and scared shitless from what had what had happened.

"We'll catch up in a bit." he answered.

The others left us alone in the debriefing room. It reminded me much of the comm room of the Normandy SR-1 only that the chairs were lined up in one row, not in circular figure.

I can't stop thinking about what happened. It kept nagging me, a little voice at the back of my head telling me it was wrong. John caught onto my distress and put his arm around my shoulders, sending me warm, calming electrical pulses throughout my body.

"Talk to me, Sel. Is it the shooting?"

_Damn, he's good._

"I'm fine. It's just..."

Just what?

Just that the galaxy is coming to an end. Just that I have to guide you, the one and only person, in order to save it. Just that if we fail, life as we know it will cease to exist. Just that I'm scared out of my mind.

Just that I don't know what I feel towards you.

"Nothing is going to be easy. Things are just going to get worse. A whole lot worse."

"Don't say that, Selena. Everything will be fine."

_He used my first name... He had never used it before..._

For a moment, I believed him. And in that moment, I felt so at ease.

"Thanks. For being here. Helping me." I said.

"You've helped me in a lot of ways. More than I can count."

His gaze upon mine was so intense. So...captivating. His unblemished face looked flushed. His eyes dazzled as the distance between us began to diminish. I could feel his warm, minty breath on my lips. Only centimeters apart from each other, our lips-

**_beep-beep, beep-beep, beep-beep._**

_My omni-tool. Why do I want to crush it with my bare hands right now?_

The sound caused us to jerk away from each other, flushed and slightly disappointed-why?- and I quickly rose from my seat.

"I'll-uh-w-wait for you in the c-cafeteria." John managed as he practically fled from the room.

Feeling flustered, annoyed, and confused, I answer the call.

"Selena."

_Just the person I need to talk to right now..._

"Helena. Is there something you need?"

_Smooth, Sel. Don't let her know that you feel like shooting her right now..._

"Are you with the team?"

"No. They're eating. I was about to join them." yeah, right "Why?"

"Your team needs a team leader. That is decided in a similar matter to recruiting. Only you compete against each other."

_Oh, goody. Just what I need right now. Getting beat the crap out of Jack. Or Zeke. Maybe Nate._

"When would we start?"

"Today. As soon as you're able. I already informed the trainer and scorekeeper. She'll be expecting you."

"Okay, then. I'll tell the others right now. Anything else?" Please say no.

"No. That is all. Good luck." The call ends.

_Well, this is just lovely..._

_Sarcasm isn't going to help..._

_It makes things easier..._

I exit the Comm/Debrief room and make my way to the cafeteria.

* * *

(Cafeteria)

"What's wrong with you two?" Nate asked. "You're awfully quiet."

"Nothing. I-uh." think of something! " Oh! We need a team leader. Boss contacted me. Said to go to the training room after eating."

"Nice way to change the subject." Zeke mumbled under his breath. Ignoring Zeke's comment, I continued.

"She didn't give me too many details. Other than our aim's gonna be tested."

"Then what the fuck are we sitting around for?" Jack said as she stood. "Let's go."

* * *

(Training Room)

"Name's Sarah. I'm in charge of keeping track of your performance to see which one of you will be team leader. First, we'll start off with physical performance. Push ups, sit ups, that kinda thing. Next up, weaponry. You will be given different types of weapons that you use, some more powerful than others, and test your aim and speed. The points will be added in the end and whoever has the most points gets to lead your team. Questions? No? Good. Then let's start. Push ups. Get ready."

_This girl means business..._

Luckily,we had changed into training clothes before coming here. John was wearing a white t-shirt, black basketball shorts, and black running shoes. Nate and Zeke wore pretty much the same thing. Jack wore a camo tank, revealing quite a few tattoos but not as many as she had in the game. Weird... She also sported black shorts and black runnng shoes. I decided on my favorite "work out outfit:" sports bra, basketball shorts, and running shoes, all black.

We took positions on the floor as Sarah-which was the one that gave us our equipment when we arrived- prepared to give the signal.

"Start!"

...9.10.11 Nate's down. 12...16.17. Jack is out. 18.19.20. Huff.21. Huff. 22. Huff. 23 I'm down. 24. 25. Zeke. 26.27. John is down.

_Geez-us. Can I...have a minute...please...? Maybe... Lie down...forever...?_

"Wow, John. That was...impressive." Sarah told John in a tone that for some reason rubbed me the wrong way.

_Is...is she flirting with him?_

_What's it to you? You said he was just your friend... Right?_

_Goddammit! The hell is wrong with me?!_

The confusion/anger filled me with adrenaline. Jumping up from the floor, I spoke to Sarah.

"Pull ups next, right?" I said very close to her face. She nodded cautiously and motioned with her head the bars. With renewed vigor and ample reserves of adrenaline that appeared from the _blue-right?-_ I made my way to the bars.

"Anytime, guys." I told the others as they readied themselves.

"Ready?" Sarah prepared us. "Start!"

...17.18...Jack is done. 19.20.21. Nate is over. 22.23...30.31.32...41. Zeke. 42...47 huff. 4...8 huff. John. 4...9. Huff..no more...5...0 huff huff huff...

I let go of the bar, landing on my knees, the adrenaline fading, leaving my body exhausted and sore. And for some stupid reason, I think James would be proud. Maybe. Does anyone have water? Or Powerade? Does that even exist anymore? I don't remember seeing it.

"What jealousy can do." commented Jack. John gave her a confused look and she just burst out laughing. I was too damn tired to care.

"Five minute break, everyone." Sarah announced.

Everyone made their way to a table that had bottles of water. I simply laid down on the floor, eyes closed, trying to regain a steady breathing rate. I feel someone sit next to me and I open my eyes.

"Hey." I breathed.

"Hey." John responded. "So... 50 pull ups, huh? I didn't think you were a work out person."

_Neither did I..._

"What did you think of me then?" I asked as he handed me a bottle of water.

"I don't know." he starts. "Someone...caring. Loving." he said as he looked down at his hands.

I gulp my water to hide the blush creeping on my face. I still felt it when I stopped drinking, but it could pass as being flushed from exercising. Right?

Right.

Trying to lighten up the mood, I joked.

"Are you calling me a lightweight, Mr. Shepard?"

_Wow that sounded weird..._

"Maybe I am, Ms. Davidson." He said with a smirk.

"Ten credits I beat you in the next exercise."

"They haven't even paid us yet and you want to start gambling?"

"Is the great Shepard scared?" I teased.

"Please stop using my last name. And no, I am not afraid. Hm. Alright, you got a deal. Get ready to lose ten credits."

_If you only knew how much your last name is going to mean..._

"Break over, people." Sarah said. "Laps next. Get on one of those treadmills."

"Uh, did someone forget their sunglasses or something?" Nate said as he held a pair of odd-looking sunglasses.

"No. Those are environment simulators. Put them on and you can choose different vistas or places you want to 'run' in. You can use them if you like."

_Sounds interesting..._

The "glasses" looked more like the masks the Incredibles used, only they fully covered your eyes. I decided to try them on. A menu appears, showing the following options:

Citadel

Track Field

Old Earth

Park

_Old Earth? That's...intriguing_.

Another option menu upon choosing the Earth option:

California London Texas New York France Florida Vancouver

Texas, my home. The simulation began and what came up next couldn't have startled me more:

ALAMO CITY LIMITS

POP.: 18,383

My... That's where...Fucking hell, that's where I used to live! I don't know what happened next but the simulation went dark and the glasses came off, the dull white light of,the training room momentarily blinding me.

"Sel! Are you alright?" John asked as he held me by the shoulders. That's when I realized I was on my knees.

"You blanked out on us then fell to your knees." John continued.

_Well, shit..._

"Sorry. Just...tired. Lets keep going." I lied as I stood. I put the glasses back on, despite my better judgment screaming not to, the small city coming back into view. I faintly heard Sarah yell "Begin" and my feet began moving. God, it was...so identical. So realistic.

Jogging slowly I started off in the main street, passing the "Stars Drive-In," the "O'Reilly Auto Parts," the old elementary school, the pharmacy. I came across an intersection and "turned" left using the eye coordination. One block, another. A left turn on the third street. And there it was. My old home. Its freshly cut front lawn, the old car my mom never repaired, Charlie's dog house. Everything looked exactly the same. I hadn't even realized I had stopped running until I felt hot tears roll down my eyes.

The memory was too much for me. Yes, it brought back the good times I spent there but it also reminded me what I left behind. My mom, my friends, my life. I tore the glasses off and let the tears run down my face, despite the eyes on me. I didn't care at the moment. I had left behind an entire life just to help fix this fucked up universe.

"Sel. You're crying." John said with a whisper. "Guys leave us alone for a bit."

The others exited the training room, leaving me and John alone. He didn't say anything as the fears rolled down, instead he hugged me, waited for the sobs to stop. After I calmed down a bit, he spoke.

"Selena. Tell me, please tell me what's wrong with you. It hurts me to see you like this. Let me help." John pleaded.

"You'll never understand." I began. "Its not something I can just...blurt out. It hurts. And it also hurts to know that that I'm causing you pain because of this. I'm sorry. Just understand that I can't...express this thing that bothers me."

"Don't apologize. I trust you. But...it seems you don't trust me."

His words stung me like a dagger through the heart. I turned and looked at him directly in the eyes.

"I trust you. Implicitly. Its just that this bothersome thing from my past isn't something I can share easily."

"Is it...that Alex boy?" he asked. God, he isn't going to drop this until I lie or tell him the truth.

"In part, yes." I said. "He...I..."

"He was your boyfriend." He interjected my stuttering.

Not even close. Maybe if I hadn't died... But...

"No. Best friend, actually. Since we were kids. Did I like him? Yes. Did I tell him? No. Do I regret it? Yes. But I didn't know I would-" I stopped. I couldn't tell him. Should I? Should he know I'm some freak reincarnation? Would it hurt? Would he laugh?

"You didn't know what?" John asked. "I won't judge you. Trust me."

His words seemed so sincere. So... Truthful. If I told him, things would either be easier or a whole lot harder. If I told him, though, no way would I mention anything about the Reapers. It still too early. Yes? No? Yes?

Yes. Here goes...everything.

"I...I didn't know I would die."

* * *

AN: Oh, snap! For the record, i did not go back on my word on keeping quiet about Shepard's destiny (You will see later on that I'm right.) This has been the longest chapter so far and man was it difficult to write. And like I said, it was an emotional roller coaster. Next chapter will be extremely short so I MAY be able to post it today. MAYBE. About the twitter thing, no one yet, so... Yeah. Uh, what else? Hopefully the counting wasn't confusing. Hmmm... That's it, I think. Thank you for all you reviews, follows, favorites! Its my fuel, really. Stay tuned, folks! Until next time.

FUN FACT ABOUT THIS STORY: IT IS TYPED ON A PHONE. ALL OF IT. HUH.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: REALLY short chapter. Will John think Selena is crazy or will he believe her? Read on! **

* * *

"You... died?" John asked incredulously.

_Here we go..._

"Listen. I... I'm not normal. I'm not from this universe. I had a life. A different one. 2014. The year I died. When it happened, I...passed through planes of existence, I guess? I don't know what it was.

"The point is, afterwards I was born here. Time passed and I slowly began to realize what had happened. I realized I would never see my loved ones again. Alex was my best friend. He was the last person I saw before it happened. He's not the only thing I mourn."

After a few moments of piercing silence, John spoke.

"What triggered you to cry?"

I sigh heavily. "The glasses. You wore them, right?" He nods in response. "Well, I chose the Old Earth option and...my hometown appeared. Of all the cities in Texas, my home had to pop up. It was too much. I... It reminded me of... everything."

John looked...perplexed? Pensive? Anguished? I didn't know. It took me years to grasp the concept of my death, I'm giving him a few moments. The silence began to eat away at me. I was sure that John would either run away, laugh, or-a very unlikely scenario- understand. I couldn't take it anymore. I was sure he thought I was some crazy person that he could no longer trust.

"Go on." I started. "Laugh, run, or judge. It'd make perfect sense if you did. After all, I'm just some freak fro-"

He dove at me and our lips crashed. His lips felt so warm upon mine. His hands rose and rested on the back of my neck, pulling me in closer, deepening the kiss. He ran his tongue slowly across my lower lip, causing me to gasp, making way for him to intrude my mouth. Our tongues began a fierce dance, savoring each others mouth.

No longer being able to breath, our lips reluctantly parted, plump from the encounter. Never before had I experienced something so...vibrant. Something so exhilarating. I felt like I had just been on a roller coaster.

"You are nota freak. I will never run away from you. I admit, this is difficult to understand, but I know you. You wouldn't come up with something like this for fun. If you say its true, that you truly underwent all of that, then I believe you.

" You are not a freak. You simply are. And that's what I love the most about you. I don't know why you had to go through that, but I'm glad you ended up here. With me."

His words soothed me to my very soul. I felt a large weight slip off my shoulders. I felt I could finally breath normally. And I could no longer deny anything: I fell for John. And somehow, he fell for me.

"I...sigh... Thank you. For everything. For understanding, for not judging me. For...the kiss." I said shyly.

He looked deep into my eyes, reading off my anguish, my confusion, my effort, my relief. Our lips met again, another passionate kiss. Our lips parted and he stood up and offered me a hand. I took it and rose to my feet.

"Come on." he said, " Let's get back to it, alright? I haven't forgotten our bet."

"Ten more I can convince Sarah to start the laps again." I challenged playfully, the pain and worry I had felt for so long no longer present.

"Twenty."

"Deal."

* * *

**AN: YAAAAYY! So much love! So much understanding! So much- well, you get it. Thank you SO MUCH for all your reviews, follows, and favorites. To my new readers that did not read the little update thing I wrote (which I deleted) if you like, you can follow me on Twitter at Selena_Hawke. If I get at least five followers (Please tell me who you are, I don't have telepathic abilities though that'd be awesome) I will tweet updates, goodies, ideas(maybe), and perhaps a sneak peek. I do have a question for all of you: in the chapter where they "do the deed" as Ashley put it, would you guys want full-blown sex, or a sort of fade to black kind of thing? This part is still far away but I'm starting to plan ahead. Let me know what you guys think! PM! TWEET! whatever you like. I'm available 24/7! Until next time!**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: I'm back! After what felt like eternity. Seriously guys, y'all are awesome for being so damn patient. I'm sure I've said this before, but if im gone for at least three days, that's ****too much time for me. Unfortunately, some stuff has come up that will hopefully clear up. **

**Nevertheless,**** I never forget you guys. Thanks for all the reviews and ideas you've thrown at me, especially the crazy idea user Khazinthedark gave me. Don't ****worry, it will be here, just wait. Now without further ****ado, onward! **

Disclamer: I own what I own and you own what you own, deal Bioware?

* * *

"You can't just ask me to start over!"

"I'm not asking. I burned out. The tears? They were out of pain. Do you know how much your body hurts after an adrenaline rush? Have you ever had an adrenaline rush?"

"Uhh...no."

"Your body feels like shit. It hurts, everything burns, and pushing it doesn't make it any better. We've all rested the same amount of time, we all have different limits but lets just start again with the laps."

After what seemed an eternity, Sarah finally gave in to my bickering. The score would not change and we would start the laps again. My breakdown was apparently considered a forfeit. Something I was not going to let slide, especially because I just bet ten credits.

As we entered the training room, I whispered in John's ear, "You owe me ten credits."

"I won't have to pay you after I beat you." he whispered back.

"Keep on dreaming."

We took our place in the treadmills. I decided against using the glasses for fear of having another breakdown, however, something told me that if that were to happen, John would pick me up and piece me back together. Sarah gave the signal and we began our laps.

1 lap. 2 laps. 3 laps. 4 laps. 5 laps. Zeke. 6 laps. Damn, this isn't going well for me. 7 laps. Jack and Nate. 8 laps. John. 9 laps. Done.

Man, that was tiring. John made me forget my troubles and for that I thank him, however...

"You owe me twenty credits, J."

"So very close to winning." he huffed.

"Alright. So far, this is the score." Sarah began. "Zeke: 97."

"Alright." Zeke said. He was always so calm...

"Nathaniel: 72"

"WHAT?!" Nate exclaimed incredulously.

"Jaqueline-"

"It's Jack." she interrupted.

"78." Sarah said, ignoring Jack's correction.

"Well, shit."

"John: 178."

"Really? Wow..."

"Selena: 184."

"Holy crap! Are you shitting me?!" I exclaimed.

_How the hell did I manage to get that many points?_

_You did do a bunch of pull ups during you little jealousy fit..._

_Adrenaline rush..._

_Keep telling yourself that..._

"Damn, girl! You're on a roll!" Nate commented happily.

"Not bad, Cupcake."

"Thanks!" I really need to think of a nickname for Jack.

"Enough celebrating." Sarah interjected. "you can still catch up to her in the weapons performance. For now, shower, change into your armor, and be back in an hour. Dismissed."

_What is she, an Alliance admiral?_

We all made our way to our rooms. I showered, changed, and grabbed my weapons. With fifteen minutes left, I decided to make my way to the shooting range.

"Hey, Sel!" I heard a voice as I exited my room.

"Oh, hi Nate."

"So...what happened?" Nate asked as we began walking.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on. Between you and John. Both of you came out of that room like lovestruck teenagers."

_Did we really_?

"Uh... Well, we are teenagers."

_And lovestruck..._

_Shhh!_

"Come on. Don't create suspense." Nate pressed.

_Should I even tell him? Nate's a really nice guy and everything, but would John agree with me telling him what happened? Of course, I wouldn't spill out the whole "I'm from another universe" part, but still._

"Hey guys!"

_Saved by the bell..._

"You had to spoil the fun." Nate pouted.

John gave me a confused look that told me to explain.

"Nate here was becoming a nuisance by-"

"Hey!" Nate defended.

"-by prodding me to tell him what happened when you and I talked in the training room."

"Oh. That. If... It's okay with you." John managed.

"Nate is interested on what happened. Not what we talked about. I'm fine with it of you are."

"You sure?"

"Yep."

"Still here guys." Nate announced as we stopped outside the range.

_Unfortunately.._.

"Alright, alright. Don't go all Little Miss Impatient here." I joked. He looked st me with a confused look and I just waved it away. "You see Nate, John and I-"

"Kissed." Nate finished.

"Uh... Yeah. Basically. Why the hell did you asks then?!"

"Jack and I were sure what was going to happen. Zeke disagreed. So we bet twenty credits."

I didn't know whether I should feel surprised, amused, or disappointed. I guess the latter was stronger.

"Really?" I asked. "Just twenty creds?"

"So did we win?" Jack asked as she approached us.

"Yep." Nate answered.

Exasperated at their little high five, "You guys are idiots." I said. "Lets get going already."

* * *

"Man, my arm is killing me."

"Aw. Cupcake's injured. Someone give her a lollipop."

"Jack." I began. "Fuck. You."

"Settle down you two. Scores are ready." Sarah said as she separated us. We all huddle around Sarah, eager to hear the results. "Jack:198 Ezekiel: 200 Nathaniel:180 John AND Selena: 298."

My jaw was almost literally on the floor. Everyone looked at us in bewilderment. How the hell did we manage to score the same?

"W-Wha? That...That doesn't make sense." I stuttered.

"Shit, I'm more curious at how you two scored so fucking high." Jack exclaimed.

For once, I couldn't agree more with her.

"What happens now?" John asked, still surprised at the news.

"The boss has plans in case something like this were to happen. The tiebreaker would be a spar."

A what?!

"Are you saying I have to fight him? That's not going to happen. For one, I suck at throwing punches, Two, if I somehow managed to beat him, I'd probably injure him, highly doubtful but still. Three, I'm not going to lead this team. John is most suitable for things like this. I forfeit."

"Sel, you can't be serious!"

"Trust me when I say that leading us will come in handy later on. Trust me, I'd make a terrible leader."

Silence ebbed away until John finally spoke.

"Alright. I'll lead."

* * *

**AN: This was very difficult to write because I had no idea how to end it.i wanted them to actually fight, but I ended cutting out that part because it didn't make sense. This makes a bit more sense. Thank you for all the reviews. Again, that is what motivates me. 'Til the next chapter!**


	13. Chapter 13

AN: This was meant to go up yesterday but there was an unfortunate set back. For those of you that celebrate Easter or celebrated, this is a little something. Hope y'all had an amazing day!

UPDATE: FIXED TYPO.

* * *

"Sel, wake up!"

_Who the hell is waking me up at this ungodly hour?_

"Go away!" I groan, not wanting to leave the warmth of my bed.

I feel warm arms wrap around my waist and soft lips upon my own.

_Damn, he's too good at this. _

After that-amazing-kiss in the training room, John had asked nd to be his girlfriend. I still remember how shy and cute he looked.

_"Hey, Sel. Can I.__..uhh...talk to you?"_

_"What's up?"_

"_Well, It's just that...I...ummm...wow, I'm not good at this." he takes a deep breath and continues. "I wanted to know if you would...umm..."_

_"John, you can ask me anything. You don't have to shy away." I told him, reassuring him. _

_"Its just...Sigh. Okay I'm gonna say this extremely quick so I won't stutter. Do you want to be my girlfriend?"_

_It was so...awkward. The way he asked. So quickly did he spoke that I barely caught on to what he said. I was grounded to the floor. Eternity passed and then some, until he began fidgeting with his hands._

_A large knot formed in my throat so speaking wasn't an option. Closing the distance between us, I took his face in my hands and kissed him deeply, my way of accepting. He began to kiss me back, putting his hands behind my neck, drawing me closer to him. When our lips parted, he gave me that look that made me feel he could read my thoughts and memories through my eyes, so deep and loving._

"Alright, alright. I'm up. After that, how can I refuse?"

"I thought you wouldn't be able to. I want you to help me with something."

"That depends on what you need help with." I said, my voice slightly huskier than usual. Our bodies were extremely close, me wearing only a tank top and him shirtless. He noticeably blushed and continued.

"It's not...that. I already told you I want it to be special." Yes, his romantic side. Who knew? "I wanted to do something for the others." he said. "You know what day it is, right?"

"Sunday. What's so special about- oh! Its Easter!" I had totally forgotten. "What did you have in mind?"

* * *

"The fuck is this?!"

"I told you she'd react that way."

"Why is everything pink? And yellow? Colorful..."

"Its Easter, Jack."

"So? Listen, Lovebirds, I don't do holidays. Too much cuddling and-"

"There'll be drinks. Lotsa of 'em." I interrupt. Jack's expression quickly changed.

"Well...in that case, maybe I'll stay. Where are the others?" Jack asked, looking around the Easter-decorated room. The room-my bedroom- had been rearranged, adding a poker table and a pool table we found at a store for a fair bargain. The walls had colored banners with bunnies and eggs. From the ceiling hanged a few decorations. On the table were two boxes filled with drinks. Vodka, tequila, beer. I never drank, but I guess there's a first time for everything.

"Someone call?" Nate asked as he entered. "Don't start the party without the guest of honor. That's rude."

"Well, he hasn't arrived so I'm guessing we're going to start without him." I joked, rewarded with a pout from Nate and laughter from the others.

"I'm here for poker and drinks, so lets start." Zeke said enthusiastically.

Jack cracked open a beer, Nate got tequila with Zeke, John got vodka and offered me some which I reluctantly accepted. After some poker rounds, chats, and drinks...

"Don't tell me this is your first drink, Cupcake? No... Figures."

"I happen to have spent three years trapped and the others with my parents, you know. Drinking was never on the agenda." I retorted Jack's comment.

"How did you guys even get this? You're barely teenagers." Zeke asked.

"Being a Templar has its perks." John replied.

" Listen, kid, I'll make you a deal. You drink more than me, and I'll stop calling you Cupcake."

_Very tempting..._

"Jack. Don't. Sel isn't going to get drunk because of you." John intervened.

"C'mon, Little J! I'm actually doing you a favor. If she's drunk and you're drunk, you two will finally fu-"

"Jack!" I interrupted. "Fine. I accept your challenge."

"What? Why?" John asked incredulously.

"You have a nice nickname. 'Cupcake' is the worst thing you could name me. I hate sweet things. Cupcakes are among them."

One drink. _God this thing is strong_! Two drinks. Three drinks. Four drinks. Five drinks. _Why is the room fuzzy_? Six drinks. _My hands look...weird..._ Seven drinks.

"Damn, Cupcake! Didn't think you could take two drinks, let alone seven." Jack commented.

"The room's fuzzy. Why is it soooo fuuuzzzzyyyyy?" I slurred.

"I think that's enough, Sel." John said, reaching out for the glass in my hand. Pulling back, I respond to him.

"But I haven't-hic- beat Jack-hic- yet. C'mooooonnnn. One more drink." I fill the glass and swallow it all down. "Jack. It isshint fair. You're a-hic-biotic. Biotics don't-hic- get drunk eashily."

"How'd you know that?"

"Cuz you-hic- told John after the party on-hic- the Citadel, remember? Hic. Oh, shit, wait. Never mind. That wasn't you. That was the other-hic- you."

"Okay, I think we've all had enough drinks. Party's over. Sel, you need to rest." John ordered. I heard Jack complain but I couldn't make out what she had said. A minute later, the room was empty, save for John and my drunken self. John carried me to my bed and pulled the sheets over me.

"Won't you stay?"

"I think it's best if you rest. You're going to have a terrible hangover tomorrow." he pecks my lips lightly. "Good night, Sel."

"Mmm... You know... This was my-hic- best Easter ever."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Sweet dreams, love."

Sleep consumed me, thinking of John's last uttered word. _Love._


	14. Chapter 14

Two years have passed since joining the Templar Knights. Both John and I have turned eighteen. Now, it's only a matter of getting us inside the Alliance. Convincing John to enlist in the Alliance is going to be challenging, difficult, and a lengthy task.

John has led the team quite well. During missions for the Knights, he splits us up to cover all our sides. He orders what to do while under fire. Slowly but surely, he is becoming Shepard. His ability to use almost any weapon is astonishing. An expert at assault rifles and pistols, he can manage a shotgun or sniper just as well.

I myself have trained extensively with my sniper rifle, trying to overcome the pain of recoil. Now, I can use the M-97 Viper and M-29 Mantis. I won't be carrying a Black Widow around anytime soon, but me and Viper get along just fine.

Currently, Helena had called us to the comm room for a debrief on a new mission. Here we were, sitting in front of a huge screen awaiting the boss' orders. The screen blinks to life, showing Helena, which, by the way, is much younger than in Mass Effect for obvious reasons.

"I'm glad everyone is here." she began. "This assignment will be one of the toughest ones you've had to undertake."

"Whatever it is, we can handle it." John reassured her.

"In these past years, you have become one of my best teams. It is why I am trusting you to complete this. This mission will require careful planning. You...will be raiding an Alliance warehouse."

_What did she say?!_

_Oh, shit._

"What do you need from there?" I asked. "We have more than enough weapons."

"We're not going after weapons. The Alliance is working on something they call Quantum Entanglement Communicators, or QEC. It's a better way to communicate without using comm buoys. I plan on expanding the Templar Knights beyond Earth. To do so, I need those QEC's."

_Holy. Fucking. Shit._

"The Alliance wouldn't leave something like this lying around in a warehouse." John commented.

"They are sending the plans to their station Arcturus. We need to recover them before that happens."

_Sigh..._

"I'm sending you the coordinates, as well as a layout of its surroundings. Do what you have to do, but do it right. This can't go wrong."

The screen blinks out, leaving the room quiet. Why, of all things, does she want the QEC plans? Can't she just use Comm buoys? Stealing from the Alliance. Sounds bad in every sense of the phrase.

"What do you think, Sel?"

"Huh? I'm sorry, what did you say?" I hadn't even noticed John and the others had already started planing.

John looked at me curiously before continuing, "I asked you what you thought was the best way to approach this."

_I'd rather not approach this at all..._

I examine the blueprints on John's omni-tool. One entrance, one exit, guards stationed outside both. A side alley, and buildings surrounding the warehouse. This looks absolutely wonderful.

_Sarcasm will get you nowhere..._

_I know! You've said it before..._

"Hmm. We would need a distraction to keep the guards busy while some of us sneak in. Perhaps steal a delivery truck of sorts, one of us drives up and claims to be delivering something." I suggest. Pretty cliché.

"Annoy the guards enough and they'll ask for help from the inside. It's a plan then." John agrees. _Thank god._

"I know a place not far where there's some delivery trucks. We can grab one on the way to the warehouse." Jack adds helpfully. For once.

"Alright." John begins, "Here's the plan then: Nate and Zeke, you'll be the delivery boys. Make up a story to keep the guards occupied. Better yet, annoy them. Wear normal clothes but take your armor and weapons, just in case. Jack, you'll be coming with me and Selena. We'll be waiting in the side alley until the guards are distracted enough. We'll wear armor so strap on weapons, again, just in case. Questions?"

_Can we NOT steal from the Alliance?_

_Shut it!_

We all shake our heads at the same time. He nods and continues, "Grab your things then. Be ready in ten minutes."

God, I hope this turns out the way it's supposed to.


End file.
